Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017

Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017 or Karnataka anti-superstition bill was recently passed in Karnataka assembly. The bill aims to combat and eradicate inhuman practices which are propagated in the name of so called supernatural or magical power, done with ulterior motive of exploiting the common people in the society and thus destroying the society. The Bill strictly prohibits activities such as persuading the performance of inhuman activities for any reason, assault on the pretext of freeing the person from spirits or ghosts, persuading others to parade naked, performing surgeries to change sex of the foetus, indulging in sexual activity in the guise of super natural powers, banning women or others from entering villages, inflicting injuries on oneself, or killing animals and any other such acts. The Bill proposes the appointment of vigilance officers who is vested with the responsibility of monitoring the violation of the provisions of the Act. It also provides for the imprisonment of not less than three months and a fine up to ₹ 5,000 or both. These are some of the measures which has been made to curb the menace of superstitious beliefs and still a lot more has to be done in this regard.